Beds of the type used in hospitals, other health care facilities and home health care settings typically have a base frame, an elevatable frame and a lift system extending between the frames for changing the elevation of the elevatable frame relative to the base frame. One type of lift system employs a lift chain. Examples of such systems are described in pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/397,511 entitled “Height Adjustable Bed with a Lift Chain Assembly and Components Thereof” and Ser. No. 12/708,178 entitled “Height Adjustable Bed with a Push Chain Assembly”.
One desirable attribute of a lift system is compactness. The more compact the lift system, the more space is available for other intra-frame components or for facilitating access for cleaning, repair and maintenance. Another desirable attribute is for the resultant of the forces exerted by the lift system on the elevatable frame to be as close as possible to the lateral centerline of the bed. Such location of the resultant force helps to ensure smooth operation and reduced risk of component binding during elevation changes.